Here in Your Arms
by Pearlynn
Summary: This wonderful man, so beautiful and strong and courageous, someone so honorable and genuine, it was hard not to love him. But his knack of protecting her and more recently his tendency to be so reckless and wild was starting to grate on her nerves. Breath of the Wild Zelink, Post-Calamity. Rated M for smut.


_Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of Zelda._

 _ **A/N** in the words I used for my husband, **be prepared.** _

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Truthfully, Zelda could do without the stresses that came with accompanying Link in his travels. She didn't mind the wilderness itself, nor the long periods of time between settlements or seeing another person in general. However, she did mind how often Link found himself in some sort of trouble, whether it be a Yiga clansman who had stumbled upon them or a rabble of bokoblins that were terrorizing poor travelers, or even when he would climb up a steep cliff, pushing himself almost too hard, just for that one ingredient he knew she would love to use in one of her experiments. Sweet, but terrifying.

She had witnessed some of his adventures as she held her vigil against Ganon, yet there were some pieces she never saw until she was actually in his presence. Like, how he would purposely take the Sheikah Slate from her and start tracking a monster, just because he wanted some of their parts for an elixir. Or when he would tell her to stay put as he jumped into the air and paraglided to the top of a far-off grove that housed old ruins with treasure inside.

Today, she decided she was absolutely _done._

"What on _earth_ are you trying to do?!" she hissed from the rubble she hid inside. "You have no idea what's in there!"

Link smirked and flashed her a wink before he trotted away and out of her sight. She waited for what felt like at least twenty minutes when he popped his head back into her crawlspace with a wide grin cutting through the dirt and what she assumed was blood smudged all over his face.

"I got the hinox guts!" he chirped before he reached his arm to her to help pull her out.

Zelda glared at him and stuck out her lip in a pout as she replied, "I don't understand why I needed to hide, though."

"It was a black hinox," Link said simply as he started dusting off his pants. "Very dangerous."

"I know that."

Link grinned and gestured for her to follow him. They walked a fair distance before he settled down against a tree across the clearing. "I know you do. But I wanted to keep you safe. Even with Ganon gone, you can never know what's lurking out here."

Zelda smiled and sat down with him, suddenly grateful for his concern. "Well, what exactly do you intend on doing with the hinox guts?"

"Botrick wanted some for an elixir he was trying to make," Link commented as he started to clean his weapons. "The recipe he found asked for two and I already had one, so I volunteered to get him more."

"That was noble of you." Zelda turned her gaze down to her lap and she continued, "However, you could have at least told me. I thought you were being reckless again."

When she glanced back up, Link's eyes were straight ahead, narrowed dangerously at whatever was caught in his sights. Zelda turned and looked towards where he had been staring, unable to see anything out of the ordinary.

"Link-"

"Shush!" he hissed, holding up his hand near her chest. He kept staring ahead, those feral eyes focused and on high alert. Suddenly, he shot up and grabbed her arm, pulling her to her feet. "Run."

"What?!"

Link shoved her away and pulled his shield out. _"Run!"_

Zelda didn't ask twice. Instead, she turned on her heel and began sprinting towards a cliff that she could climb. Behind her, she heard the distinct sound of hooves slamming against the ground and her heart hammered painfully in her chest.

 _Lynel._

Right as Zelda reached the cliff and began climbing, she heard the sounds of a battle raging on. She spared a glance over her shoulder to see Link _riding the Lynel's back_ , like the madman he was, and she had to remind herself to _run_ _away_ like he had instructed before that Lynel spotted her, too. She reached the top of the cliff and pulled out her own bow, just in case another monster decided to show its face, and she turned to watch Link's battle below.

The sight of broken weapons made her breath catch in her throat, and she watched in horror as Link was knocked back by a swipe of the Lynel's savagely giant arms. She involuntarily screamed in fear - a vision of him in the rain flashing before her eyes - and the Lynel's glowing eyes snapped up to her. It roared - so loud it shook her to her bones and stuck her in her spot - and began readying itself for a charge.

Fear crippled her limbs and Zelda found herself unable to breathe. Her eyes were stuck in one place, watching the Lynel as it prepared to attack her from afar. It pulled out its bow and drew an arrow, and soon she felt her throat close and her heart to drop painfully.

Link, however, had a different plan for how this would end. He struck the Lynel with a ginormous spear - one she knew to have been the craftsmanship of another fallen Lynel - and the monster reared back and brought its attention back to the Hero. Zelda let air rush into her lungs as she collapsed to her knees. Her chest hurt, her eyes hurt, everything hurt just from being _afraid_ and she felt tears start springing forth without abandon.

Soon - but not soon enough - the Lynel fell, screaming in defeat before vanishing in a cloud of blackened smoke. Link was on his knees right where the monster fell, his spear long forgotten, and Zelda felt that fear grip her heart once again. Grabbing the paraglider Link had made for her, she leapt from the cliff and sailed down to where he was kneeling, heart racing and jumping up into her throat higher, higher, _higher_ as she got closer.

She stumbled right as she landed, almost falling before she broke into a run for that last few feet. She slid to her knees right as she reached him, pushing aside his spear as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

"Oh, _Goddesses_ , are you alright?"

"I'm... fine," he panted, shaking his head as he dropped it against her shoulder. "Just... tired."

Zelda cradled the back of his head with her hand while the other dug into her pouch and pulled out a energizing elixir for him. He silently drank it, and even when he was finished he dropped his head back down and sighed.

"I am sorry."

Zelda felt more hot tears pour down her cheeks and she inhaled sharply. "Why are you sorry?"

"I had a harder time with this one," Link said simply. "I usually don't struggle that much."

"It's okay," she cooed, sniffling as she pressed him closer. "You beat it, and we're safe."

Link snorted and shook his head, effectively nuzzling himself against Zelda's neck. The hair there stood up as a shiver raced down her spine. "I can't believe I forgot that guy had been hanging around here. If I had just remembered that, we wouldn't have stopped here."

Zelda sighed and gently pulled away from their embrace. When she finally got a good look at him, her tears began running anew. His was bleeding in several places, not severely but enough to cause concern, and a bruise was forming on his jaw where he had landed after the Lynel threw him off. He looked exhausted, despite drinking the elixir, and Zelda felt the compelling need to get him safe and fast.

"We need to get somewhere safe so you can recover. Where's the closest settlement or stable?"

Link pulled out the Sheikah Slate and opened the map. He studied it for a few minutes before sighing in defeat and dropping it to his lap. "The closest stable is at least a half day's walk from here. And the closest place where we can find people other than that is Castle Town, and that will still take us a while if you want to avoid any other monsters like that."

Zelda cursed under her breath and ignored the chuckle coming from Link.

"We can set up camp," Link suggested. "There's a cave just west of here that has a shrine, and I have enough supplies to get us through the night."

Zelda's lips pursed together and she took in his condition once more. He seemed fine enough, and unfortunately as of late the Sheikah Slate can only transport one person at a time, so they would have to resort to camping or finding a stable before night fell, which was approaching fast.

"It will have to do," she murmured as she made to help him stand. Link did not object, instead he gave her a small smile and nodded as they both reached their feet. "Can you lead the way?"

A smile was his answer and he began walking westward, his pace slow and uneven. Zelda lingered to his side, not quite behind but not ahead like they normally traveled. Her eyes were stuck on him, taking in his injuries and praying there wasn't anything else that he was hiding from her.

They reached the cave right as the sun set, and Link plopped himself down right at the foot of the glowing shrine. He groaned in pain, reaching into his bag to pull out some more of his healing foods, and began scarfing down a plate of hearty greens.

He grinned when the food was finished and he wiped the excess crumbs away from his lips before patting his belly and sighing heavily, "Much better."

Zelda gave him a wry smile before she started pulling out her bed roll and blanket. "Will you be okay?"

Link nodded and started following suit, soon laying his bed roll next to hers. "It's amazing what a little food can do if it's cooked right."

She watched as he pulled his tunic over his head and hissed when he stretched one of his wounds too much, and tossed it down by his gear. His undershirt was soaked through with his blood. Her gasp caused him to dart his eyes to her and give her an apologetic look.

"I'll be fine," he swore. "Really."

She glared at him as he stripped that shirt off as well, leaving his torso bare. There were at least a half dozen different slashes in his skin, slicing through his skin on his sides, chest, and arms. They blended in with his other scars, adding to his numerous collection, yet she knew deep down they were nothing compared to the severity of the ones that marred his skin. Without noticing her despair, Link grabbed some bandages out of his pack and started patching himself up. The sight of his blood, trickling down his abs in small rivets, made her stomach curl. The last time he had been bleeding this much, he had died in her arms. That thought alone started to make her sick.

"You aren't convincing me."

He glanced at her as he covered up the larger wound on his side. "I promise I'm fine. I've dealt with worse."

Her glare hardened. "I don't want to deal with you getting hurt like that. I did it once, I don't want to have to do it again."

Link softened immediately and he finished covering up the cuts before he knelt down in front of her and took her hands. "I'm still here. I won't leave you again, I promise."

Zelda stared at him through her lashes, her heart constricting at the sight of his sincerity. This wonderful man, so beautiful and strong and courageous, someone so honorable and genuine, it was hard not to love him. But his knack of protecting her and more recently his tendency to be so reckless and wild was starting to grate on her nerves. She had seen him die already, and that heartbreak was too much for her to handle again. Ganon may be gone but there will always be threats to both of their lives, and frankly Zelda was tired of him risking his so easily.

Her hands started to tremble and she held onto him tighter. "I... I can't bear the thought of losing you again, Link."

Link took one of his hands away from hers and cupped her cheek. "You won't lose me. I'm right here."

A few tears escaped her eyes - when did she even start crying? - and Link quickly wiped them away. There was a soft affection in his touch, and pure adoration in his eyes. He smiled, just enough to make the corners of his eyes crinkle in the slightest, and slowly he pressed their foreheads together.

"I'm never leaving you ever again."

Zelda sniffed and she replied, "You better not. I need you."

His chuckle was soft and warm. "I know."

"It scares me when you do things like that," she whispered. "I don't want you getting hurt trying to protect me."

Link lifted his chin and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. Her heart leapt into her throat. "It's my duty, and honor, to protect you. I will do what I have to in order to keep you safe, Zelda."

She shivered and ducked her chin so he wouldn't see her reddening cheeks. Despite their closeness as of late, she still was having a hard time dealing with the suddenly-affection manner Link had developed since he awoke in the Shrine of Resurrection.

Link, however, gently gripped her chin and tilted her face upward so they were looking in each other's eyes. "You're all that matters to me."

She blinked and shook her head as best as she could in his hand. "You matter to me, too. More than you realize."

Immediately, his eyes widened fractionally, glazing over as if his mind was in a far off place. His gaze was on her, but he didn't seem to be really seeing her. In fact, it seemed like he was daydreaming. After a long moment, Zelda was starting to feel uncomfortable under his dazed scrutiny and she felt the strong need to squirm out of his grip. Right as she started to move, Link blinked and he inhaled sharply.

"Are you alright?"

He nodded mutely before hesitantly lowering his hand from her chin. His eyes were still on her, never leaving her face. Zelda wanted to ask what had just happened, but instead she pressed her lips together and lowered her eyes. "I'm going to go to sleep. I would like to get out of here and somewhere safer first thing in the morning."

Link didn't say anything. When she looked back up at him, he was still just staring at her. There was a heat in his gaze, making his crystalline eyes shimmer in the blue light of the shrine. The sight made her stomach clench in anticipation.

"Link-"

He leaned towards her and pressed his lips against hers. Zelda gasped and her heart fluttered in her chest, growing warm and sending a pleasurable heat throughout her body. It settled low in her tummy as Link lifted his hand and corded his fingers through the lose hair on the back of her neck. He moved his lips, opening his mouth to deepen the kiss, and Zelda followed his lead. Her eyes shut and her heart thrummed with passion, hammering away as desire seeped into her veins. Her hands made their way to his chest, avoiding the bandages as best as she could. She relished in the feeling of the strong, corded muscles under his skin and admiring the strength they held.

Link pulled her into his lap, a fluid and effortless motion, and soon she settled herself on top of him with a hum of satisfaction.

Their kiss did not break, however. Instead Link took this chance to trace his tongue against her lower lip, a question she eagerly answered with her own. Her fingers tangled in his hair, sliding through his strands before ending at the tie that kept them off his neck. He made a soft noise into her mouth as her nails scraped his scalp and her skin tingled at the sound.

Lost in the feeling of his erotic kiss, Zelda barely noticed Link's hands lowering to her waist and teasing the skin peaking out from under the hem of her shirt. He grew bold and pressed his fingers against the bones of her hips, sending a spark to her dampening womanhood. At the new sensation gripping her less-cognitive self, Zelda gasped and broke away from the kiss, letting her head fall back as she relished in the blissful touch of his hand. Link took this opportunity to start kissing and nibbling at her neck, yet another thing that made her shiver and involuntarily press herself into him.

He groaned when she bore down on his hips, begging for some more friction. She didn't know what this was, but she wanted more. She needed to _feel_ , and he was letting her do that. She was so lost, drowning in his touch to the point that she didn't care about anything else but his lips and cleverly bold fingers.

Speaking of his fingers, Zelda just realized that they were lifting her shirt up, exposing her tummy and skirting around her ribs, a silent question to proceed. Without a second thought, Zelda pulled her vest and blouse over her head, discarding them in the pile with his bloody clothes, and took his face in her hands to kiss him roughly once more. Their teeth clanked together, but she didn't mind. Instead, she felt empowered by the addictive touch of his lips and his eager hands.

Those eager hands cupped her breasts, pushing them up and weighing them in his palms. He fumbled around, sliding against the smooth material of her bra, and despite the clumsiness of it all Zelda was awash with that pleasurable warmth once more.

He seemed pretty fed up with the bra, tugging it off like she had done with her own shirt and tossing it over his shoulder. They broke their kiss and Zelda watched with awe as Link's hungry eyes took in the sight of her bare chest. His eyes were dark with lust, so dark they sparkled like sapphires as he admired her form. Without a word, he quickly leaned down and wrapped his lips around her nipple and _licked_.

Her hips bucked and she moaned, unable to control herself after a sharp wave of ecstasy shot through her. When her hips ground against him, Link growled against her nipple and thrust his hips up to meet her, hitting her right in a spot that made her see stars. They continued this dance, grinding their hips together as he sucked, kissed, and bit her breasts, chest, and neck. Soon Zelda was panting with every wave of pleasure that rippled through her body in time with their thrusts.

Link was trembling in her arms, gasping as she bore herself down just a little harder. She could feel him under her, throbbing with want, and everything in her head and body _screamed_ at her to let it bring her to completion. Because as great as _this_ was, it wasn't enough.

Zelda pulled him into another heated kiss, tangling their tongues together as she pulled on his shoulders and hair to bring him closer. Link's arms wrapped around her waist, catching on to her desire, and he quickly flipped them so she was laying on her back on their sleeping mats.

Her heart was hammering in her chest, her whole body thrumming with trepidation. This was actually happening, and she couldn't be more happy and scared at the same time.

He didn't break the kiss as his hand started trailing downward, skirting over her ribs and tickling her hip bone before fractionally sliding under the waistband of her pants. She gasped and lifted her hips into his touch, begging for more. She felt Link smirk into the kiss and she had half a mind to pout but that all changed when he grew bold and slid his hand completely under her pants and underwear. He cupped her womanhood and she immediately felt that jolt of pleasure again. The moan she let out was the most undignified sound she had ever made, but she didn't care.

She was here, in a cave, with the man she loved as they pleasured one another.

Link may have come off as confident, but his tentative touches were a good enough sign that he was just as inexperienced and nervous as she. He broke their kiss and pressed his forehead against hers, panting out shaky and uneven breaths as he rubbed her. Zelda squirmed under his touch, crying out as he hit the perfect spot, and her shaking hand shot out and cupped his erection through his pants. He made a choked sound as he lowered his head to her shoulder and began grazing his teeth against the pulse in her neck. Zelda whined when his fingers clumsily fumbled around her slit, and she hummed when he went back to that perfect spot once more.

Her hand snaked under his waistband, tugging his pants down until his erection sprung free. She glanced down and her breath caught in her throat at the sight of him. He was rock hard, bobbing with anticipation. He was thick and long, the head a painfully purplish-red and the shaft just slightly darker than the skin of his lower stomach. The veins straining against the surface almost appeared to be throbbing with his need.

She gulped.

Her fingers trailed down his abs, grazing over the bandages and the small scars that littered his body, and soon she ran her fingers through the thatch of hairs at the base of his erection before gripping him tight. He moaned against her skin, never stopping his own unsure ministrations with her body, and Zelda reveled in the power she had at the moment. Here she was, laying under the Hero of Hyrule and holding him like no one else ever had, and she could turn this strong and amazing man into a puddle at her feet with just her hand.

Link jutted his hips towards her fractionally, giving her the okay, and tentatively Zelda tugged her hand up the shaft towards the head. When her fist passed over it, he grunted and bit down against her neck as he thrust his hips towards her again. Her body seemed to know what to do, because her hand started stroking him up and down, passing over his head with each stroke. His fingers continued to circle around that perfect spot, flicking over it in time with her strokes. Soon, a budding feeling in her stomach- tight and throbbing and coiling with each quickening pass of his fingers - and Zelda could not control the vulgar moans and pleas that slipped past her lips.

" _Oh,_ Link," she gasped, stroking him harder and faster as she pressed her chest against his. " _Please."_

Link pulled his lips away from her collarbone with a pop and murmured against her skin, "Please, what?"

Zelda moaned as he slowed down his fingers and slid his fingers downward. "I don't know! _Please_ , I need _more_!"

Instinct took over and Link pulled his hand away from her slit. She whimpered at the loss of sensation, frowning as he pulled away from her - effectively doing the exact opposite of what she just asked - and took his hand out of her pants. He grinned at her as he sat up on his heels and brought his hand to his mouth. Zelda watched in awe as he licked her nectar off of his fingers, cleaning them dry.

She gulped when he gripped the waistband of her pants and swiftly pulled them down her legs, leaving her bare to the cool air of the cave. He stared at her womanhood, eyes wide with appreciation, and barely had time to react before he pulled his pants down all the way and settled himself between her spread legs. He kissed her once more, gentle but heated, and then pulled away to look in her eyes.

"Are you sure?"

Zelda smiled, her heart warming at his concern, and she nodded as she cupped his cheek with her hand. "Of course. Never have I wanted something more."

His lips pulled into a warm smile and he pressed his forehead against hers once more. "I love you."

A wave of affection washed over her and she shut her eyes, feeling blessed in his love, and she murmured, "I love you, too."

No more words passed between them. Instead, Link reached between their bodies and positioned himself at her opening. He looked into her eyes once more, just for reassurance, and she nodded. He pressed his lips against hers as he pushed himself in, slowly entering her and settling inside. Zelda gasped - in both pleasure and unexpected pain - and she tightened her already trembling arms around his shoulders. Link stilled, sensing her discomfort, and he nudged her face with his in a silent question.

"I'm fine," she gasped. It stung a little bit, her body being stretched much more than she had ever done before, and she wiggled her hips to get into a more comfortable position. She relaxed, settling into the full and amazing sensation of Link being inside of her, and she hummed, " _Move._ "

Link did not need to be told twice, and he pulled himself out before thrusting back in. It was an ancient dance, practiced by many throughout the ages. It seemed so natural, their movements against each other, Zelda found herself getting lost in the darkness of Link's eyes and the feeling of him inside of her. That coiling she felt before started to grow again, rapidly tightening with each of Link's thrusts. He was hitting her deep, stretching her and stroking every magical part of her womanhood that had been aching for his touch.

He was muttering curses in her ear, his hips stuttering in its movements as he sped up. Zelda felt the crescendo grow, tightening and tightening every second that her body seemed to be on fire. She could feel _everything,_ from the pulsating of his erection to the drag of his chest against her own. He ground his pelvis against hers with every thrust and Zelda was starting to unravel.

Link captured her lips in another searing kiss and the coil snapped. Her whole body was set aflame and waves upon waves of pleasure rippled down her legs to her toes, and up to her nipples and even her scalp. She moaned into his kiss, gripping against his bare skin and dragging her nails against his shoulders as she clawed for something to ground her from this overwhelming sensation.

Her cries echoed off the cave walls and soon Link followed suit, grunting and moaning as he spent himself inside of her, hips sputtering to a halt as he stilled above her and came.

They both were quiet, slowly catching their breath as they relaxed against each other. Link moved first, pulling himself out of Zelda and rolling onto his back to her side. He quickly grabbed one of her blankets and tossed it over their naked bodies before plopping himself back down.

Zelda watched him with adoring eyes, enraptured with this man, and she smiled when he rolled onto his side and pulled her to his chest. He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, and settled his arm around her waist. Zelda cuddled up against him, avoiding his injuries from before, and closed her eyes in contentment.

"I love you," he murmured into her hair.

A smile grew on her lips and she pressed a soft kiss to his chest. "I love you, too."

They fell asleep like that, bare and free and content with each other. For having to wait one hundred years to be with him, she was quite content with how things ended up. The fact that he felt the same way made her heart flutter with love and happiness, and for once she was completely content with the way things happened in their lot in life.

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 _fin_


End file.
